Proposals and Performances
by Astonishment
Summary: This "what if" story was inspired by A Story Full of What Ifs by Ivy2010. In Chapter 14 of that story, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth in front of her family. What if Darcy was required to propose to Elizabeth in front of her family?


**Proposals and Performances**

**Summary:** This "what if" story was inspired by _A Story Full of What Ifs_ by Ivy2010. In Chapter 14 of that story, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth in front of her family. Please go to that story to read his ridiculous proposal and what happens next. What if Darcy was required to propose to Elizabeth in front of her family?

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Jane Austen.

Longbourn after the Ball…

Lizzy and Jane discussed the Netherfield ball late into the night. Jane was completely enamored with Bingley. Lizzy agreed that they were perfectly matched, with similar agreeable temperaments. "Did you enjoy your dance with Mr. Darcy?" Jane asked.

"Oh Jane, it was a disaster! We argued almost the entire time. I tried to ask him about Wickham but he offered no information," Lizzy recalled the tense exchange between them.

Jane said, "Charles mentioned that Wickham has caused trouble for the Darcys, but does not know of the details. That trouble was the cause of his foul mood the night of the Meryton assembly."

_Even Caroline tried to warn me about Wickham. What if Wickham's story is false? What if I misjudged Mr. Darcy? Jane is always so forgiving. Perhaps I should follow her example. _Lizzy's conflicted thoughts haunted her.

"There is no question that he admires you, Lizzy. No other girl has received his attention," Jane observed.

"Charlotte shares your opinion," Lizzy admitted. She replayed the events of her acquaintance with Darcy well into the morning hours.

Meanwhile at Netherfield…

Sleep did not come to Darcy the night after the ball. He lay awake thinking of the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet.

Her eyes – her smile – her hair – her dress – her figure – her delicate fingers – the touch of her hand – her quick wit – even her temper pleased him.

Even after arguing with her during their dance, he could not forget the spark in her eyes. Even after her accusations about Wickham, she would not leave his thoughts. He knew he was in danger. He should leave for London immediately to escape the hold she had on him. As he dressed the next morning, he realized that even if he did go to London, she would follow him there. She would follow him every day of his life, whether she was near or far. Leaving would be pointless – it would be futile. He knew – she was inescapable. She was the only woman of his acquaintance who had ever captured his attention. Now, she not only had his attention, she had his heart. He had no other choice than to pursue her. He was determined to go to her and ask her to agree to a courtship.

After Collins' Proposal…

Darcy arrived at Longbourn as Mr. Collins was leaving. Collins stopped his buggy, dismounted and bowed grandly to Darcy in his attempt to honor the nephew of his esteemed patroness. Without saying a word, he climbed back into the buggy and rode away.

Darcy knocked on the door and was admitted into the dining room, where the family was assembled. Elizabeth was surprised to see him, but offered him a welcoming smile. He was surprised to see them still at breakfast and was hesitant to intrude; however Mr. Bennet warmly invited him to join them and he accepted. Elizabeth smiled at him and motioned for him to sit beside her. He appreciated the Bennet's warm welcome as the family engaged him in pleasant conversation. He then turned his attentions to Elizabeth.

"I enjoyed our dance, Mr. Darcy. I am impressed with your accomplishments in that regard," Elizabeth told him.

"Is that so? I thought you would do your best to find fault with me," he replied, reminding her of her teasing remark one afternoon at Netherfield.

"A few minor missteps are to be tolerated and should not affect the enjoyment of the dance," she said with a smile.

Since years of instruction had ensured that his dance skills were flawless, he realized that she was willing to move past their disagreements. "I intend to make every effort to ensure that my faults and missteps will be much improved for our next dance, Miss Elizabeth," he responded with his own smile.

"You are very kind to make no mention of my own missteps, Mr. Darcy," she noted.

"Any missteps that may have been made entirely escaped my notice, Miss Elizabeth," still smiling.

"I thank you for your kindness," she said, beaming with admiration.

The family chatter went completely unnoticed by Darcy and Elizabeth. A few moments of silence passed between them. "May I inquire on the state of the puzzle you described, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked, referring to her comment about the differing accounts she had heard of him.

"I may have misjudged the complexity of that particular puzzle," she admitted with a blush.

"Often it seems, that upon further examination, the answer to the puzzle reveals itself," he eluded with a sly smile.

"I value your insight, Mr. Darcy," she said with a sweet smile.

Mr. Bennet stayed silent during this exchange and was certain that they were discussing neither dancing nor puzzles. "Mr. Darcy, we have had quite an extraordinary morning, would you not agree, Mrs. Bennet?" he asked his wife.

"Oh to be sure, Mr. Bennet!" she replied with a giggle as her younger girls joined in.

During the excited chatter and hilarity that arose in the room, all Darcy could hear was "Proposal – Mr. Collins!" "A proposal?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth this morning," Mr. Bennet confirmed. "You cannot imagine how ridiculous he was." The girls did not attempt to hide their giggles.

Darcy was instantly horrified._ Collins proposed to __my__ Elizabeth? _"Then, he was rejected, I presume?" he asked, attempting to remain calm.

Mr. Bennet laughed heartily. "He was indeed rejected! I rejected him myself! I cannot fathom a more unsuitable prospect for my Elizabeth than Collins. Or for any of my precious daughters, for that matter. He is entirely ridiculous!"

Darcy was shocked that Elizabeth had received a proposal that very morning. _Surely she would never be happy with such a match. Surely I would never be happy if she was matched to such a man, or to any man. What if she had accepted? Thankfully that did not occur, but what if it had?_ Darcy's conflicted thoughts made him certain of the action he was about to take – that he must take for his own preservation.

Darcy addressed Elizabeth's father, "Mr. Bennet, may I have your permission to speak to Elizabeth privately?" Mrs. Bennet gasped while the younger girls erupted into laughter.

"Mr. Darcy, of course you have my permission, but we all would like to hear what you have to say to our Elizabeth. Please indulge us," he said dryly.

Darcy was startled by this unusual request. But after hearing about Collins' proposal, he was resolved to have a more favorable result. He moved his chair back, turned Elizabeth's chair so that she was facing him, and then knelt on one knee before her.

"Miss Elizabeth," Darcy began, when Mrs. Bennet gasped and promptly fainted in her chair. Darcy became alarmed but noticed that everyone else seemed calm. Kitty and Lydia giggled quietly behind their hands. Mr. Bennet summoned Mrs. Hill to bring smelling salts and assist his wife. When she had regained consciousness a few moments later, Mr. Bennet asked Mrs. Hill to stay with salts at the ready, and then asked Darcy to continue.

"Miss Elizabeth," Darcy began again, just as Mr. Hill appeared at the doorway to announce the arrival of Mr. Bingley.

"Ah Bingley! Please join us," Mr. Bennet said merrily. Kitty and Lydia now giggled openly. "Why don't you rest a while, Mr. Darcy, until we are ready to continue?" Mr. Bennet suggested. He asked Mr. Hill to bring in extra chairs from the drawing room.

"This is the most absurd day of my life," Elizabeth whispered to Darcy.

"Mine as well," Darcy said as he rose to his full height. Hill returned with extra chairs and stayed in the room. When everyone was seated, Mr. Bennet motioned for Darcy to resume.

Looking around the room at those present, Darcy noticed the absence of their housemaid and asked his host, "Will Betsy also be joining us?"

At the mention of her name, Betsy stepped into the dining room and bobbed a curtsy. "Ah Betsy, there you are, please join us," Mr. Bennet said as he motioned to an empty chair.

Once Betsy was seated, Darcy inquired with a smile, "Will any other members of your staff be joining us? Perhaps the groomsman or the gardener?"

"Mr. Hill will advise any missing members of the staff on today's events, will you not Mr. Hill?" Mr. Bennet responded, not bothering to hide his enjoyment of the absurdity.

"Oh yes, sir! It would be my great delight?" Hill responded with conviction and a bit of a smile.

"You have our attention, Mr. Darcy, and you may proceed," Mr. Bennet said, casting a warning glance at his giggling daughters, who became immediately silent.

"Thank you, sir. Miss Elizabeth," he continued as he knelt before her once again. "I had originally planned to ask for your agreement to enter into a courtship today but now I find that my plans have suddenly changed. After learning that another man has asked for your hand, I find it impossible to accept the likelihood of your marriage to anyone but me. Besides your obvious outer beauty, I have also observed your kindness and generosity, your sparkling personality, sense of humor and your decisive wit. I find that I am hopelessly under your enchantment. I am your humble servant. Will you do me the honor of accepting my hand?"

"Oh well done, Mr. Darcy," Mrs. Bennet complimented. "That was an excellent proposal, do you not agree, Mr. Bennet?"

"Yes, my dear, I quite agree," he responded. "Don't you all agree as well?" addressing the rest of the room.

"Yes" – "Oh yes" was heard from the crowd. All the while, Darcy never turned his eyes from Elizabeth.

"Well, Elizabeth, what say you? Will you accept Mr. Darcy?" Mr. Bennet asked his daughter.

Elizabeth smiled and responded. "Mr. Darcy, first I must tell you that your proposal far exceeds that of Mr. Collins."

"Oh yes, I quite agree, Lizzy," Mrs. Bennet gushed. Kitty and Lydia giggled quietly.

Elizabeth continued. "And secondly, I appreciate your kind offer, considering my harsh judgment of you on past occasions. I am relieved that you are willing to overlook my offences against you. And lastly, yes, I would be most happy and honored to accept your offer, Mr. Darcy," she replied happily.

Mrs. Bennet jumped to her feet. "Mr. Bennet, will you give your consent? They most certainly have my consent. What say you, Mr. Bennet?" Mrs. Bennet beseeched her husband.

A hush came over the dining room as Mr. Bennet considered his response. "I give my hearty consent!" he announced joyfully. A cheer erupted from the room as everyone rose to their feet and swarmed the happy couple.

"Oh Mr. Darcy, what a lovely proposal – and a lovely acceptance, I must say," Mrs. Bennet gushed once more. "Do you not agree, Mr. Bennet?"

"Yes, Blossom, I quite agree. Mr. Hill, I believe that a toast is in order to celebrate the occasion. Will you see to it?" he requested.

"Yes, sir, right away" Hill responded as he, Mrs. Hill and Betsy rushed out of the room. Congratulations were offered by everyone. The girls were giggling and babbling with excitement. Never had such a day been seen at Longbourn.

However; through the entire event, Bingley and Jane never took their eyes off each other. During the commotion of the aftermath, Bingley rose, stood before Jane, took her hands and knelt on one knee. A gasp rose up from Mrs. Bennet and her three younger daughters.

"Miss Bennet," he began, "Since the moment we first met, you have been constantly in my thoughts and in my dreams. You have captivated my heart and my soul. I have only one desire and that is to spend the rest of my life with you, beginning at this very moment. Will you please accept my hand and agree to be my wife?" Happy tears fell from her eyes as Charles beamed at her.

Mrs. Bingley dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. "Oh Mr. Bingley, that was an excellent proposal, was it not Jane?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Mama," Jane appeased her mother.

"Well then, what is your reply?" Mrs. Bennet asked, impatient to hear Jane's response. The girls resumed their giggling.

Jane never looked away from Bingley. "Yes, Mr. Bingley, it would be my great honor to be your wife." Cheers erupted from the crowd once again.

Mrs. Bennet could not contain her joy. "I happily give my consent. What say you, Mr. Bennet?" she asked impatiently.

Mr. Bennet tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile. "Two daughters engaged? I shall go all distracted!" he exclaimed, imitating his wife.

Hearty laughter from the crowd was followed by complaints from his daughters, "Papa!"

"Yes, yes, of course, I give my whole-hearted consent, Mr. Bingley." Another cheer followed.

Bingley still would not relinquish Jane's hand. "Jane, you have made me the happiest man in all of England!" he said as he beamed with pride.

"Mr. Darcy, will you let that stand? Mr. Bingley – the happiest man in England?" Mr. Bennet asked as if he was presenting a challenge.

Darcy laughed at this challenge. "No sir, I take no offense, for I am the happiest man on Earth!" he announced confidently to more cheers.

The Hills returned with wine and glasses, which were distributed to everyone. The newly formed family pleasantly enjoyed their time together. Multiple hugs, drinks, and toasts were offered for the two happy couples.

Upon realizing the enormity of the task before her, Mrs. Bennet fluttered about. "Oh my, there is so much to plan and so much to be done; two gowns, two trousseaus, two weddings, two breakfasts! How shall I manage it all?" she wondered out loud.

"You must plan a double wedding, Mama," Lydia suggested.

Mr. Bennet added, "Yes, my love, you may reduce your nervous complaints in half by having only one wedding," teasing his wife.

Mrs. Bennet was used to her husband's teasing nature. "You may well tease me, Mr. Bennet, but this wedding will be the talk of the county for years to come! It shall be equal to none! Everyone in Hertfordshire will want to attend," she announced with confidence.

Darcy added, "Yes, I quite agree. My aunt and uncle, the Earl and Lady Matlock, will be in attendance, as well as their son, the Viscount and his wife. Lady Catherine, my esteemed aunt, will surely attend. I am certain that my other aunt, Princess Sophia will also want to attend, if her schedule permits."

"Now I shall surely go distracted!" Elizabeth said with apprehension.

"As shall I!" Jane nervously agreed.

Bingley announced to the crowd, "I propose a toast: **To Distraction!**" he exclaimed as he raised his glass.

"**To Distraction!"** the crowd repeated with glasses raised.

Mr. Bennet addressed the crowd. "So, I must ask all of you – who presented the best proposal today? Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley or Mr. Collins?"

Several responses rang out from the crowd:

"That Toad!"

"Ridiculous!"

"Insidious Man!"

"What a Fool!"

"Sycophant!"

(A.N. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Thank you for the inspiration, Ivy2010!)


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